Thanksgiving Day is a holiday when we in the U.S. come together with our loved ones to share delicious food and count our blessings. As we push ourselves away from the table each year, we might feel a little glow of gratitude and appreciation. But once the turkey coma wears off, many of us get back to our daily routine, and lose track of the things we have to be thankful for.
There’s no reason we have to wait a full year before we pause to consciously give thanks! In fact, there are those that do this every day, in a variety of ways, in order to stay grounded and improve the quality of their lives. Practicing gratitude on a daily basis can improve your life in a multitude of ways! It will improve your relationships, improve your health and vitality, and increase your sense of positivity, and self-worth (to name a few!).
Isoke Salaam, who I recently interviewed for the Healthy at Any Size podcast, shared with me that she cultivates a daily gratitude practice. I asked her to distill this into a few tips that could easily be applied for beginners. The benefits of cultivating gratitude on a daily basis are endless! So why not take these tips for a whirl and see how your life improves?
Photograph by Maira Iqbal
1. Truly put things into perspective
Someone cuts you off in traffic. You have a less than polite coworker. Your new shoes weren't delivered on time. Are these things annoying, yes. Do they truly constitute a bad day? No. On a daily basis you should truly think about what matters and all of the things you have to be grateful for. A small issue no matter how obnoxious is not truly a bad day. Its simply an obnoxious situation. When your family is healthy, your friends are happy and you are in a great space, what truly matters? Be aware of your mindset. Think grateful thoughts.
2. Make a grateful list every day
This is my favorite task to practice gratitude. I make a list of all of the things I am grateful for no matter how small. I typically like to write the list down but you can also type the list into your phone as a keepsake. When you have a list of 50 things that you are grateful for in front of you, it is hard not to be happy. I write down the smallest things from my new sparkly nail polish that I fell in love with to the most important thing in my life, my health.
3. Meditate anywhere
Simply close your eyes and breathe. Meditation puts you in a space that allows you to relax and truly focus. Focus on being grateful while meditating. You can meditate anywhere. Try meditating for two minutes while your car warms up in the morning or before bed each night. Make meditation a daily priority. Your grateful heart will be forever thankful!